Then she puts the rice in a big wide bowl in the ground because humans share, 'and everyone ate, passing the bowl.' Beautiful expressive oil paintings adorn each page of 'The Earth Shook,' making it an unforgettable experience for all the children lucky enough to read or have it read to them. In this searing story, Donna Jo Napoli, acclaimed author of Beast and Breath, delves into the roots of the Cinderella myth and unearths a tale as powerful. She takes courage from the air, sand, water, and sun. Finally Parisa makes a fragrant pot of rice with cranberries and pistachio nuts. Lion, who did not speak but only roared, is aloof. Because she needs to laugh, she tells herself jokes and rolls on the ground laughing. Parisa decides to make a drum and dance, and Bear and Owl join her. Boar digs another pool and Snapping Turtle basks in it. Then she decides to dig a pool for water to give to thirsty flowers. she takes off her veil, gloves, and leg coverings and walks as a human child under the sun. In fearful response to the animals warnings, she tries to conceal parts of herself with veils, but finally she decides to stop hiding and to do what humans do. Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers : August 2009. Donna Jo is the head of the linguistics department at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, where she lives with her husband and their children.

THE HERO OF BARLETTA illustrated by Dana Gustafson PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: Teased by the other children because of his tremendous size, Nico saves the town against an invading army. She meets Boar, snapping turtle, Bear, Owl, Snake, Wolf, and Lion. THE EARTH SHOOK: A PERSIAN TALE illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW. She knocks on different doors and encounters many mystical beasts who threaten her because some part of her reminds them of bad experiences with humans. She embarks on a mystical quest to discover, or to remember what it means to be human. Parisa, a Persian girl whose name means 'like an angel,' is left to explore what remains of her town after the earth shakes and collapses homes all around her. 'The Earth Shook: A Persian Tale' is a beautiful modern children's fable inspired by events connected to the 2003 earthquake in Bam, Iran. An unforgettable experience for all the children lucky enough to read or have it read to them

The Earth Shook by Donna Jo Napoli